# US 9,039,234 B2 · Illumination apparatus

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- Number: US 9,039,234 B2
- Document ID: US9039234B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/043,480
- Filed: 2013-10-01
- Published: 2014-04-10
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-09
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Hirofumi Kasuga
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039234B2

## CPC

- G03B 21/206: {Control of light source other than position or intensity}
- F21K 9/232: specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
- F21V 23/04: the elements being switches (safety devices F21V25/00)
- F21V 33/0052: {Audio or video equipment, e.g. televisions, telephones, cameras or computers; Remote control devices therefor}
- G02F 1/1313: {specially adapted for a particular application}
- G02F 1/1334: based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
- G03B 21/00: Projectors or projection-type viewers; Accessories therefor (devices for changing pictures G03B23/00)
- G03B 21/005: {Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto}
- G03B 29/00: Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects (combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03)
- F21V 29/677: {the fans being used for discharging}
- F21Y 2107/30: on the outer surface of cylindrical surfaces, e.g. rod-shaped supports having a circular or a polygonal cross section
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)
- F21K: NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

An illumination apparatus having an illumination function and an image projection function includes a light source for illumination, an image projection section including a light source portion having a light source for image projection different from the light source for illumination, an image formation portion that modulates light from the light source portion based on image information to be projected to form an image, and a projection lens that enlarges and projects the image, a connection section electrically connectable to an illumination apparatus fixture, a lamp cover attached to the connection section, accommodating the light source for illumination and the image projection section, and having a light transmissive portion that transmits illumination light from the light source for illumination and the image projected from the image projection section, and a control section having a function of controlling the light source for illumination and the image projection section.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An illumination apparatus having an illumination function and an image projection function, the apparatus comprising:
a light source for illumination;
an image projection section including a light source portion having a light source for image projection different from the light source for illumination, an image formation portion that modulates light from the light source portion based on image information to be projected to form an image, and a projection lens that enlarges and projects the image formed by the image formation portion on a projection surface;
a connection section electrically connectable to an illumination apparatus fixture;
a lamp cover attached to the connection section, accommodating the light source for illumination and the image projection section, and having a light transmissive portion that transmits illumination light from the light source for illumination and the image projected from the image projection section; and
a control section having a function of controlling the light source for illumination and the image projection section.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The illumination apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the lamp cover has a rear end attached to the connection section and the light transmissive portion in an area including a front end facing way from the rear end, and
the image projection section is so disposed that an optical axis thereof coincides with a central axis of the lamp cover that passes through the rear end of the lamp cover and the front end of the lamp cover.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The illumination apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the lamp cover has a rear end attached to the connection portion and the light transmissive portion in an area including a front end facing way from the rear end, and
the light source for illumination is formed of a plurality of solid-state light sources not only disposed in positions set apart from an area through which the image projected from the image projection section passes but also so disposed that the light sources surround the central axis of the lamp cover that passes through the rear end of the lamp cover and the front end of the lamp cover.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The illumination apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the control section is capable of controlling the light source for illumination and the image projection section independently of each other and selectively setting any of the functions: an illumination function of performing illumination by using the light source for illumination; an image projection function of performing image projection by using the image projection section; and an illumination/image projection function of performing both the illumination function and the image projection function in a combined manner.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The illumination apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein at least an image transmitting area which is part of the light transmissive portion of the lamp cover and through which the image projected from the image projection section passes is made of a polymer dispersed liquid crystal material (PDLC), and an area which is the remainder of the light transmissive portion of the lamp cover and is not made of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal material is formed of a light diffusing member capable of diffusing the illumination light from the light source for illumination.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The illumination apparatus according to claim 5,
wherein the control section further has a function of controlling the polymer dispersed liquid crystal material in such a way that the polymer dispersed liquid crystal material is made transparent when the image projection section projects an image.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The illumination apparatus according to claim 5,
wherein the control section further has a function of controlling the polymer dispersed liquid crystal material in such a way that the polymer dispersed liquid crystal material diffuses light when the image projection section projects no image.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The illumination apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the connection section is connectable to any of a light bulb attachment socket, a light bulb attachment receptacle, a hooking rosette, and a hooking ceiling.